22.39 Million Passengers Flew BWI Marshall in 2011

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that 22,391,785 commercial passengers flew through Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2011. This annual passenger traffic figure, an increase of 2.1% over 2010, represents a new all-time record for BWI Marshall.

The previous annual traffic record at BWI Marshall was 21,936,461 passengers, set in 2010. In July 2011, BWI Marshall Airport set a new monthly record with 2.2 million passengers. Annual cargo shipments also rose at BWI Marshall in 2011. Total cargo for the year reached 237.6 million pounds, an increase of 5.3% over 2010.

“BWI Marshall Airport’s continued success is great news for residents, businesses, and travelers in Maryland and throughout the entire National Capital region,” said Governor O’Malley. “The Airport is an important transportation and economic resource that supports 21,000 jobs. This record year is another sign of Maryland’s strong recovery from the national economic downturn.”

Southwest Airlines, the leading carrier at BWI Marshall Airport, served more than 12.5 million passengers in 2011, a 7% increase over 2010. For 2011, Southwest Airlines had a 56% passenger market share at BWI Marshall. Southwest provided 195 daily departures from BWI Marshall during the peak summer months of 2011, a new record for the airline. Southwest offered service to several new markets during 2011 including Charleston (SC), Greenville/Spartanburg (SC), and Newark.

AirTran Airways, the second leading carrier at BWI Marshall Airport, added new international service in 2011, including flights to Bermuda and Aruba. AirTran also increased international service to both Cancun and Montego Bay. Delta Air Lines, British Airways, and US Airways all had significant increases in passenger traffic for 2011.

“At BWI Marshall, we emphasize customer service and a convenient experience for our travelers,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Executive Director of BWI Marshall Airport. “We continue to work with our airline partners to offer an expanding selection of domestic and international air service.”

For 2012, several airlines plan to introduce service to new markets from BWI Marshall. Earlier this week, Southwest Airlines started service to Atlanta and seasonal service to Tucson. Currently, Southwest plans to offer 199 daily departures during the peak summer travel period, the most service the airline has ever offered from BWI Marshall. Southwest also recently announced that it would start to take delivery of new, larger aircraft in April. BWI Marshall is one of the first markets that Southwest will use the larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

For international service, Condor Airlines of Germany will start twice-weekly seasonal flights from BWI Marshall to Frankfurt in July. Frankfurt is an important international destination and a major global hub market. Island Travel and Tours is set to begin charter service to Cuba in March.